


keep your head up, hold your head up

by displayheartcode



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Grief/Mourning, M/M, Post-Canon, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:00:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26904772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/displayheartcode/pseuds/displayheartcode
Summary: prompt - things you didn’t say at all.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Kudos: 57





	keep your head up, hold your head up

Joe closes the motel door with a sharp kick. 

He rakes a hand through his tight curls, wincing at the matted knots of blood, and turns in a quick circle in an attempt to calm himself. 

Bu the last few days go through his mind like a skipping film reel. _Misery loves company._ The flash-bomb and gas going off in the safe house. _There's your balance._ Merrick stabbing him over and over again as Nicky lunges. _All things die._ Nicky's painful resurrection from Keane's shot. _Come back to me._ He can see the blood staining Andy’s shirt, him reaching out to help Nile out of the crushed car. _What do we do now, boss?_

And then there’s Booker. 

Booker with his thousand-yard stare. The grief he’s been drowning in for centuries as Quynh continues to scream from the bottom of the ocean. 

_Sebastien, why?_

Haven’t they done enough? Fighting in countless wars and battles, pulling people out of the line of fire, leading more to safety with Andy leading the way— _hasn’t that been enough?_

Nicky’s arms come around him from behind, his chin resting on Joe’s shoulder. He whispers something into Joe’s hair, his words soft as Joe sinks to his knees, suddenly so tired from everything they’ve gone through. No words are needed between them as Nicky continues to hold him, letting Joe's grief rage inside him like a summer storm. 

Nicky runs his fingers through Joe's hair. His touch the only thing keeping Joe from fully breaking into pieces on the motel floor. 


End file.
